Learning Pronunciation
A written text to explain pronunciation is just a starting point.
You need to hear native speakers use the words.
Vocabulary CD's
For $10 - $15 you can get CD's of a foreign language with about 2000 words
pronunced. This is good because you can click on any word ten times in a
row to get a feel for the true sound. These type of CD's also help build
your vocabulary.
Text-to-Speech
There are internet sites that sell products that will take the text
you write and convert it to a sound file. This can help if you
come across a word and you are uncertain how to pronoun it. The examples
below were produced using Elan on the slow setting.
Real Audio Sites
Real Audio Homepage Search Results
DVD
DVD movies provide soundtrack and subtitles in French and sometimes Spanish.
These are better for students at the intermediate level. One cautionary
note: the subtitles and the sound track do not match. This will create
confusion for the beginning student. The advanced student will notice
that the words are synonyms or equivalent expressions.